might come who were not Israelites, but strangers or proselytes of the gate, who professed to worship the true God, though they were not circumcised, and did not observe the law of Moses. In this court they allowed sheep, and oxen, and doves to be sold for offerings, and the table of money-changers to stand, which our Lord overthrew". These money-changers might either change other money into half-shekels, for the offering enjoined, or else return money for those who lived remote. This court of the Gentiles is said to be separated from the other by a low wall, to which the Apostle alludes", when he says, that Christ is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us, that is, between Jews and Gentiles. The temple stood on mount Moriah, having the front towards the east: but the courts were not on a plain, at the top of the mount, but there was an ascent on the east side, from one court up to another by steps. Note, The courts, as well as the house or sanctuary, are in Scripture called by the name of the temple. Hereto we may add an observation of Josephus, that there was but one holy city, and one temple in it, and one altar; but no more temples or altars in any other city; for the Hebrews are but one nation, and worship but one God."

66

u John ii. 14. Matt. xxi. 12. foot, ibid. Mede, book i. disc. 3.

Ephes. ii. 14.

a Matt.

xxi. 12, 13. Luke i. 10. b Antiquities, book iv. chap. viii. Gr. §. 5.

The following Figure renders this account of the Jewish tabernacle and temple the more plain.

bbb, The holy place or sanctuary; in which was the altar of incense bb, (with the table and shew-bread, &c.)

c, The porch.

d, The veil which parts the holy of holies from the holy place or sanctuary.

eee, The first court, or court of the priests, or the inward court, separated from the rest by a low wall.

f, The brazen altar, on which the sacrifices were offered. gggg, The court of Israel, or the court of the people, or the outward court.

NOTE, The form of the Temple is here described according to the delineation thereof in Dr. Wells's Historical Geography of the Old Testament.

The great gate was on the east. There was no gate on the west; but one on each side, north and south.

Towards supplying of the necessaries for the house and public service of God, besides the offerings of the people, Moses was ordered to apply the halfshekel, (being about fifteen pence of our money,) which every one, or every man, from twenty years old and above, rich and poor alike, was to give an offering unto the Lord, as a ransom for his soul or life, which they were enabled to pay out of the spoils of the Egyptians, at their going forth out of Egypt. The Hebrew doctors say, that this was a perpetual ordinance, and that the half-shekel was paid every year by all, except women, bondmen, and

d Therefore Moses and Aaron were appointed to encamp before the tabernacle eastward, keeping the charge of the sanctuary, that none but the priests might go into it, Num. iii. 38. So also Maimon. Mor. Nevoch. par. iii. cap. 45. Sanctum Sanctorum— Majestas divina in Occidente. And so much the prophet shews from his vision, Ezek. viii. 16. At the door of the tabernacle were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the tabernacle, and their faces toward the east, and they worshipped the sun toward the east. So that the entrance into the temple was toward the east; otherwise the idolaters could not, at the same time, have their backs toward the temple, and their faces toward the east. Compare Ezek. xlvi. 1. and Josephus's Antiquities, book viii. chap. 2. Hereby the true worshippers looking toward the west, where stood the mercy-seat, (the symbol of God's presence in the holy of holies,) were prevented from imitating the heathen, especially the Persian and Chaldean idolaters, in worshipping of the sun towards its rising in the east. But on the other hand, the primitive Christians generally turned toward the east in their public solemn adorations, as esteeming that part of the heavens a symbol of Christ, the Orient, which we translate the Day-spring, Luke i. 78. who is also the Sun of righteousness, Malachi iv. 2. and who, as they judged, should appear at his second coming in the eastern part of the world. Tertul. Apol. cap. xvi. Gregory's Notes and Observations, chap. xviii. Bingham, Antiq. book xiii. chap. viii. §. 15. e Exod. xxx. 11, &c. f Exod. xii. 35, 36.

children. And, by the account of Josephus", it was not only paid in the wilderness, for the maintenance of the tabernacle-service, but all along afterwards to the temple; and even by them who dwelt abroad; for this didrachma, or half-shekel, with other holy money devoted to God, according to custom," Josephus says, "kwas transmitted to Jerusalem, by the Jews of Mesopotamia and Babylon;" though sometimes it might be neglected'.

Fourthly, As for the 'persons who officiated, viz. the priests, they were of the family or posterity of Levi, one of Jacob's twelve sons, who were chosen by God to perform the offices belonging to the public services; therefore their laws were called Levitical laws m

Aaron, one of the descendants of Levi", and Aaron's posterity, were chosen for the priests' office", the eldest son to be the high-priest, and the other sons to be priests of the second order, for the usual sacrifices, and offering incense, and interceding with God for the people, in virtue of the sacrifice offered by them. One great difference in their offices was, that the high-priest alone, and he but once in the year, entered into the holy of holies, and made the atonement for himself and the people, in order to the cleansing them from their legal pollutions, and other transgressions P. All the rest of Levi's race, called Levites, were to be as it were attendants on the priests, and employed in bearing the taber

8 P. Fagius, Grotius, and Ainsworth, on Exod. xxx. 15, 16. The Seventy call it, Exod. xxx. 13. ♪idpaxμov. h Wars, book vii. chap. 26. where he says, that the Roman emperor imposed on the Jews the didrachma, as a tax to be paid to the Capitol, as formerly to the Temple. i See also Matt. xvii. 24. k Artiq. book xviii. chap. 12. at the beginning. Compare Agrippa's Letter to Gaius, near the end. Philo. Legat. c. xvi. As appears from 2 Chron. xxiv. 5—15. m Numb. xviii. 1-8. n Exod. vi. 16, 20. • Exod. xl. 12, &c. P Le

vit. xvi.

9 Numb. iii.

nacle, and taking care of the holy vessels, and celebrating the praises of God, with hymns and musical instruments. On some of these offices they were to enter at twenty-five years of age, and on others at thirty, and so continue till fifty. Afterwards king David appointed them some employment in the house of the Lord at twenty years of aget, and so did Ezra after the return from the Babylonian captivity".

Another remarkable office of the priest was, in a very solemn manner to bless the people. Where it is also observable, that God promised to confirm the blessing pronounced by his priests in a peculiar manner'; And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them.

Ꮓ

:

Besides the attendance, which the priests were bound to give in their turns, at the tabernacle and the temple, and on the public service there, they were obliged likewise to study the law, to instruct the people in it, and to conduct them, and watch over them: They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law; they shall put incense before theea and for this reason, they had cities assigned them b in all the corners of the land; that so they might both more easily observe the manners of the people, and that the people might the more easily have recourse to them therefore they are called watchmen and shepherds by the prophets; and therefore we read, Ask the priests concerning the law; and that the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts. We read indeed of some others, who offered sacrifice, and taught the

Numb. iii. 6, &c. and viii. 5. to the end. 24, 25. and iv. 2, 3. t 1 Chron. xxiii. 24. x Numb. vi. 22, &c.

S Numb. viii.

u Ezra iii. 8.

y Ver. 27. z Deut. xxxiii. 10. a Deut. Numb. xxxv. 1, &c.

с

c Haggai ii. 11.